


An unlikely new family

by AniZH



Category: Victorious
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-02-28 09:18:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13268403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AniZH/pseuds/AniZH
Summary: Tori’s father and Jade’s mother fell in love and suddenly, Jade and her mother move into the Vega’s home. Tori gets to spend some more time with Jade from then on – and with Beck, who’s over all the time.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Happy new year!  
> Yes, a new little fic by me. I got the idea for this because of a guest review for my one shot Smoking. If you ever read this: Thank you for that idea!  
> This fic takes place after the series and I pretend the happenings inside the series only took one and a half years. There might be a few deviations from the series like about Tori’s mother. You’ll see.  
> Yeah, this is only the prologue for my fic and seven chapters will follow. There won’t be an actual... plot line. There’ll just be a few secenes I thought off and wanted to share. ;) If anyone has a great idea for something to happen in this fic, feel free to share. I’ll see if I can still work it into my plans for this fic now. :)  
> Yes, and if everything goes alright, I’ll try uploading every ten days or something with the first chapter coming this weekend. That’s something I can manage, I think.  
> Please, enjoy!

When Tori met Jade, she would’ve never thought that they would some day be family in a way. But that’s apparently how it will turn out.  
Tori got into Hollywood Arts in the middle of her Sophomore Year and met Jade there, promptly getting poured over with coffee by her.  
Somehow, they became friends though (as much as people can be friends with Jade, at least) and then, Tori’s father and Jade’s mother met. Ironically, it was while watching the play, in which Tori and Jade had to play husband and wife.  
Their parents got into talking as they were both amused about their children’s performance – and started dating only shortly after.  
During summer break for her Senior year, Tori also has gotten to know Jade’s mother, Caitlyn, much better. She’s a great woman. She also has sort of a dark humor, but otherwise has an easy smile and has treated Tori and Trina with great respect from the beginning on and every time they all went out to eat together.  
She’s nothing like Tori’s mother of course, who lost her life seven years earlier in a tragic car accident, but she’s the first woman next to Tori and Trina who makes their father smile again, truly smile after seven years. Tori loves to see it and therefore is quick to like Caitlyn too.  
Now, it’s two weeks before the end of summer break and Caitlyn and Jade are moving in.  
Their father talked a lot to Tori and Trina about it. He said that he knows they could still wait until all their children are grown up, but that they want to be a family now, that they also want to include all of them in that.  
Trina’s starting college in LA and is still living at home. Jade and Tori are going to start their Senior year at Hollywood Arts.  
Trina and Tori have to move into the same room, for Jade to have her own. Trina of course doesn’t like that at all. And it’s not like Tori loves that idea but she understands that Jade has to move from her home and therefore should at least get a room to herself in her new home. And it’s not like the sisters don’t get along at all. They often enough have slept in the same room their whole life anyway, because they do love each other.  
Caitlyn and Tori’s father both have a week off, which is why they choose the weekend two weeks before the end of summer break for the move. This way, they all have time to settle into the new home, into the new family. They have a week to get used to these living arrangements before first, both parents get back to their working lives and Trina starts college, and then Tori and Jade have to get back to school.  
Tori doesn’t know how it will work out. She isn’t sure Jade cares about this at all. Whenever the whole new family has met, she has been texting or doing other stuff on her phone, only putting it away when her mother explicitly asked her to, to then glare at her. Yes, she did talk a little to Tori’s father, especially as he tried so hard to get something out of her, whenever Caitlyn talked to Trina and Tori. She also wasn’t especially mean or something, rather tame instead.  
But she also doesn’t seem to care much.  
Though obviously they will spend much time now. So they will grow used to this. And as soon as their parents marry each other, they obviously will be family. Until then, they probably will already be used to spend much more time together than just in school and an afternoon here or there in their group of friends.  
What Tori doesn’t realize the day they move Jade and Caitlyn in with Beck being right there with them and helping out as much as he can, is that Tori won’t just get used to Jade being in her home – in their home. But to Beck being there just as much.


	2. Visiting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> Here's the first real chapter as promised. Thank you so much for the kudos I received for the prologue! I hope you guys will enjoy this. This chapter shows how the fic generally will go. :)

When Jade’s done with her room, Tori doesn’t recognize it as her own anymore, though it has been that only two days earlier. They moved her stuff out and into Trina’s room (their new shared bedroom) that Friday. A painter came on Saturday while they moved everything else, Jade and her mother brought, in. To paint the room partly black of course, otherwise also quite dark. Which made the room seem much smaller and colder somehow.  
On Sunday, they then brought Jade’s stuff in and she was quick to decorate the room exactly like her old one in the apartment her mother and she lived in before.  
There’re still boxes all over the house which they’ll empty during the next week. But Jade unpacked everything for her room right away (with help of Beck, who stayed with her inside her room the whole Sunday; without help of anyone else after the heavy furniture and the boxes were inside at all).  
And suddenly, they all live together. They eat a late breakfast together every day and then dinner again, while everyone goes off doing their own thing in between.  
Their parents of course spend almost all their time together, enjoying that they don’t have to leave each other’s sides anymore, to be home and available to each their children.  
Trina meanwhile is out a lot, meeting up with people who will study the same subject at her college and whom she found on the internet.  
And Jade? Well, she’s in her room, much of the time. With Beck.  
Tori briefly sees him come and go each day, sometimes they come down in between, shortly talk to their parents too or get themselves snacks or alike.  
Tori herself is home a lot, also to get used to this new living arrangement. But sometimes, she’s also out. Just now, she was at Andre’s and comes back home. It’s Wednesday. She knows her father has been out too, has helped out a friend with something. He’s back now, must have come home only shortly before her.  
At least, she gathers that after she greets him and Caitlyn, who both stand in the kitchen, Caitlyn emptying the dishwasher with Tori’s father now helping her out a little.  
They greet back, before Tori’s father asks Caitlyn: “Is Beck here again?”  
Tori’s also sure to have seen his car outside again. It’s as if that’s a permanent fixture now as well.  
Caitlyn nods. “He is.” And she notices, just like Tori, her father’s critical look at that, and promptly points out: “They spend almost all their time together and as I told Jade she should be home more, so we can try being a family and she can start feeling at home here, he’ll be here too. They’ll be out or in his RV otherwise.”  
Tori’s father still doesn’t seem to particularly like it, somehow. But he doesn’t say another word about it.  
Tori wonders if Caitlyn’s right. Are they always spending this much time together, Beck and Jade? Tori hasn’t known about that, if it’s true. She finds it curious, not to mention the fact that Jade’s mother knows about the RV and apparently knows her daughter and Beck are alone in that.  
She walks upstairs, still in thought about it, about how she never thought about how much time Beck and Jade spend together. Yes, they’re a couple. They probably spend a lot of time with each other, but Tori has never imagined that, has never imagined them together in his RV or anything. She also has never thought about what they would do together with so much time on their hands. Despite the obvious things, of course. Surely, they make out and stuff, when they’re together. But other than that?  
She can’t imagine how they spend their time. After all, she still doens’t really see why they fit so well together, after years. Though she does believe that they’re perfect for each other in their very own way.  
She wants to pass by Jade’s door to go to her own new room, when she hears something relatively unusual: Jade laughing. It’s not like it never happens. But rarely this whole-heartedly.  
Yes, Tori’s curious and wants to know what she’s laughing at like this. And the door does stand open, so it’s not like she absolutely wants her privacy, right?  
She walks back and then inside, plans on knocking on the doorframe while doing so, but forgets about it, as she see Jade and Beck together. Jade’s sitting on her bed, leaning against the head board. Beck’s on his knees in front of her, has leaned into her. One of her hands is in his neck, they are face to face. And yes, she’s laughing, while he’s grinning wildly.  
It must’ve been something he said. There’s no TV running; there’s also none in the room – but there’s also nothing running on Jade’s laptop. Or anything else at all. It’s just the two of them. He made her laugh like this.  
But she stops now as they both notice Tori having walked inside. Jade lets go of Beck and he drops next to her again, sitting down. He’s still smiling as he sees Tori, but not like before.  
“What?” Jade asks harshly.  
“It just... The door was open,” Tori explains herself coming in lamely. Well, she doesn’t have a better reason than that.  
Jade seems annoyed. “Yeah. Apparently, your dad’s an ass and prefers it this way. As if that means we won’t have sex. But whatever...”  
Well, Tori doesn’t need them talking about sex at all, if they’re doing it anyway or alike. But she does know her father has this rule. He also never wants Tori or Trina to be behind closed doors with dates or boyfriends.  
But this makes it sound like Jade’s mother doesn’t see it that way. Not to mention that Beck and Jade can of course be behind closed doors in the RV. And as Beck and Jade are both private, they would probably prefer a closed door.  
Jade isn’t a person to just follow someone’s orders, especially not one from Tori’s father. She always would be the person to protest and fight.  
“You’re actually doing it, just because he wants you to?” she therefore asks unbelieving.  
Jade rolls her eyes. “Because my mother loves him. You know... She dated a lot of idiots. You know my father. Your father might have awful daughters but he’s a decent guy who treats my mom like she deserves.”  
Tori doesn’t even get angry at Jade calling her an awful daughter. Because she thinks it’s beautiful for Jade to not fight Tori’s father over this, just because her mother’s so happy with him and she doesn’t want to do anything to hurt that.  
She also doesn’t get angry at Jade, for then saying: “If that’s all, get out.”  
Instead, she leaves the two of them at it with a light smile.

 

The next day, Beck’s obviously in the house again and Tori’s on her way downstairs when she hears Jade saying, down in the living room: “Beck’ll sleep over by the way.”  
“Okay, honey,” Caitlyn answers and a moment later, Jade and Beck come up the stairs, both glasses in their hands with something to drink. That’s what they probably went into the kitchen for.  
They pass Tori, Beck smiling at her, after she greets them, and she walks further into the living room, where she finds her father and Caitlyn in the kitchen, already having started with preparing dinner, though it’s still some time until then.  
Her father possibly doesn’t even notice her though he looks in her direction. But he looks more after Jade and Beck than anything else, and finally turns to Caitlyn again.  
“He won’t sleep over,” he says and Tori knows that sort of voice. That means that his decision is final and there’s no use of arguing with him.  
But Caitlyn doesn’t seem to know that. Instead, she assures: “He will.”  
“I won’t have this,” Tori’s father says and only that makes Caitlyn turn away from the stove, looking straight at her boyfriend: “They’ve slept over for a long time. I can’t forbid them that now.”  
Tori’s father’s speechless for a short moment, then he clearly states: “I won’t allow my daughters to have their boyfriends sleep over.”  
Which is why they also can’t allow Jade that as that could be unfair for Tori and Trina.  
“You don’t have to,” Caitlyn easily says though.  
“How do you expect me to explain to them, why Jade is allowed and they are not?” he asks.  
Caitlyn slightly raises her eyebrows as she calmly retaliates: “How do you expect Jade to ever get the idea of not hating you and your daughters if you take this from her?”  
Tori knows that that actually is a very valid argument. Her father definitely also knows, just blinks now, thinking. Tori knows her father doesn’t want Jade to hate him. He does want to have a good relationship with her because he loves her mother so much. He wants them to become a family. And just like Tori, he understands that Jade indeed will hate him if he forbids her something, especially after she was allowed to do it forever. Now, that her mother said it, it’s so obvious.  
Caitlyn turns around to Tori, whom she actually has noticed as well: “Tori, you do understand that you’re still being raised by your father and therefore live by his rules, while Jade’ll live by mine, don’t you?”  
She does understand. “I do.”  
“Okay,” Caitlyn easily says and for a moment, she looks exactly like Jade, as she smiles ever so slightly at Tori’s father, telling him with that that she won’t talk about it more, that everything should be clear now, then she gives him a peck on his lips. Like Jade would do with Beck, how she sometimes ends their small bickering, proving she’s right or something alike, then saying ‘okay’ like that, smiling in the same way and kissing him.  
And just like Beck does with Jade, Tori’s father smiles at Caitlyn when she turns back to making dinner, accepting this end to it, lovingly.  
Tori can’t help to smile as well, before she asks if she can help with dinner.


	3. Going out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back!  
> Thank you so much for all the kudos and the comment!  
> I hope you guys keep enjoying. :)

As Beck sleeps over, he of course also eats dinner with them. And after that, Jade and he even watch TV with the rest of the family, all of them together in the living room. The couple isn’t even sitting... on top of each other like they sometimes do when watching TV with their friends. Yes, they cuddle, but not too much. (Their parents cuddle more which Tori still finds somewhat weird to see because Caitlyn’s just not her mother and she still remembers her parents cuddle like this.)  
When they later go to sleep, Tori notices that they indeed even leave the door open for that. Jade might be living by her mother’s rules in general but also won’t disregard such a ground rule by her mother’s new broyfriend.  
The next morning, they both come down for breakfast in time. Trina’s in a middle of a story about what happened at the get-together she was at yesterday before dinner. A story she already told yesterday at dinner but which suddenly shows her in a much better light.  
Caitlyn nods to her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend in greeting, not saying anything as if not to interrupt Trina’s story while Tori’s father says a quick: “Good morning.”  
“Morning,” Beck answers with a smile while Jade ignores the greetings like every morning. She definitely isn’t a morning person, but Tori knew that before Jade moved in. She definitely knows since they slept over together at Cat’s for the first time.  
She now immediately sits down while her first steps are usually to the coffee machine. Beck does those steps now and prepares two cups.  
Tori looks at Jade who closes her eyes for a moment, as if annoyed by Trina’s voice alone, but when she opens them again, she starts taking food from the table. And not just for herself, as Tori notices. She puts some on Beck’s plate too. She even takes the pan with the eggs, though Tori has found out by now that she hates eggs. She pulls a disgusted face, but quickly pushes some of them on Beck’s plate.  
Beck sits down next to her after he has prepared both their coffees, when she just seemed to have finished up.  
She takes the cup, he offers her, without a word, but they do share a short kiss, before they finally both start to eat.  
Tori has never seen this before. How they are kind of splitting the work; Beck not only preparing Jade a coffee, but she also filling his plate with food, so both can start eating and have their coffee as soon as they both have sat down.  
Tori actually finds it rather cute and she has never thought of Jade as cute before.

 

It’s Saturday, a week after Jade and her mother moved in.  
Tori doesn’t know what to do with her day. She already called up Andre, Cat and Robbie but they all don’t have time. Beck and Jade are meanwhile up in Jade’s room again. Tori’s sure Jade doesn’t want to have her around (otherwise they also could be downstairs), but she still seriously considers going up to them and asking them if they could do something together.  
Her father’s out and Caitlyn’s on her laptop, taking care of some things for work, though she’s supposed to still have time off during the weekend.  
Tori’s just standing up, deciding that she totally should ask Jade and Beck to spend some time together, when the couple comes down the stairs.  
They don’t bother to say anything, directly walk to the front door. Before Tori can ask, Caitlyn raises her voice, still looking at her laptop: “Where’re you going?”  
Beck and Jade come to a halt and turn around. Shortly, Jade answers: “Out.”  
That makes Caitlyn look up from her work and raise her eyebrows at her daughter.  
Jade rolls her eyes before she continues: “To the mall. You know I need new shoes. And Beck wants to buy some new shirts.”  
“Okay,” Caitlyn says, nodding and that’s that.  
Jade and Beck turn back around to leave, but Tori has to stop them: “Can I come with you?”  
They are looking at her again and Tori wonders if they actually wanted to go to Beck’s RV or somewhere to be totally alone. But finally, Beck shrugs and looks to Jade. That must mean that they’re really going to the mall, right? And that it’s Jade’s decision, who doesn’t seem thrilled at the thought of taking Tori with them.  
Tori explains: “I also want to look for new shoes.” Which is true. She wants to have new ones for a while now.  
Jade shortly glances to Beck, before she sighs. “Fine. You certainly need some.” Of course, she only is able to take Tori with her with that mean comment.

They go into one of the shoe stores first and Tori immediately wanders off to the section where she will most likely find shoes that are fitting for her. It takes a while to browse through the shoes, before she quickly finds two pairs she likes very much. She tries both of them on before she carefully looks at the price of each pair. Well... She definitely wants to have that one pair. But she doesn’t have the money. If she asks her father to come with her here over the next few days, after work possibly... She and Trina can make him buy them pretty much everything, if they want it bad enough. And she’s sure she wants these shoes. She’ll sleep on it for a night and then start asking her father about it.  
With that thought in mind, she finally searches for Beck and Jade in hope that they haven’t already left (of course Jade dragging Beck out).  
But they are still there and Jade is just now trying on a pair of boots in different shades of black and gray. Other boots lie on the isle around her and Beck’s watching her, while she looks into the mirror herself, checking the boots out on her body.  
When Tori arrives with them, Beck’s just saying: “I think these are better than the pure black ones.”  
He makes a small nod to a pair on the floor in front of him and Tori sees that those are the exact same boots, just darker and with even less color (if you count gray as a color).  
Jade keeps looking in the mirror, turning slightly around, before she shrugs: “I guess. But I think I like those better after all.”  
She points to another pair of boots, totally different ones – but of course also black.  
“I told you I liked those too. As long as you don’t take those you tried on first,” Beck says with a smile and Jade slowly turns to him, raising an eyebrow: “So suddenly it’s your decision what I’m gonna wear?”  
Well, Beck can never do the right thing. Other women certainly would be glad if their boyfriend would actually be honest while they would try on clothes or shoes or anything. Not brutally honest, not judging or anything, but just truthfully saying if they didn’t like something. But Jade takes it as if Beck wants to make the decision for her.  
Beck takes it calmly though, like (almost) always: “It’s not. But seriously: Not even you could make those boots work.”  
And that suddenly makes Jade smirk, walking up to him: “Don’t underestimate what I can make work.”  
She kisses him and then leaves him with a smile, while she says: “Help me put back those I don’t want.”  
He does immediately with her first getting out of the boots and into her own shoes before helping and quickly, there’s only the pair left, she wants to take. While she picks it up, Beck finally turns to Tori: “Are you all done? Haven’t you found anything?”  
He of course notices Tori’s empty hands and she answers: “Nothing I can afford right now, so I’m gonna have to come back with my dad.”  
That statement makes Beck smile and Jade roll her eyes before they go to the checkout.

They go to a clothing store next, the one Beck buys most of his clothes apparently. Tori keeps close to the other two this time and lazily also looks through men’s shirts (because she isn’t interested to find more she wants for herself; and she’s a little sceptic if Jade would make Beck loose Tori on purpose if she gets the chance).  
She only looks up when Beck suddenly says: “Jade?”  
Jade looks up too and Beck holds up a shirt for her to see. It’s totally his style, but for some reason, Jade still quickly decides: “No.”  
Beck doesn’t seem confused and directly puts it back, only for Jade to follow his hand with her gaze and then ask: “What about the one next to that?”  
Beck pulls that up. “This?”  
It’s the same cut, just a slightly different color pattern, more dark red than blue, compared to the shirt before.  
“Yes,” Jade nods and Beck takes it to the other, he already decided to try on.  
Jade turns back to the shirts she’s looking at at the moment and Tori notices that she also has two in her arms, as if she also decided on those for Beck to try on. Apparently without asking because Tori would have heard.  
Then, there’s already Beck again: “What do you think about these?”  
He has turned around and found a pair of dark pants, he now shows for Jade to see.  
Jade raises her eyebrows and reminds him: “You wanted to look for shirts.”  
“I know,” Beck easily answers. “But they’re good, aren’t they?”  
Jade tilts her head as she looks at the pants. Then: “I can see you in them. You should try them on.”  
Beck seems satisfied about that. He obviously likes Jade approving his find. “I’ll already go to the fitting rooms then.”  
Jade nods and then turns back to her own search. Beck leaves them for the fitting rooms but Jade’s following him after a while. Tori does too, as there’s nothing else for her to do anyway. Jade still has those two more shirts and as soon as they are at the fitting rooms, she asks: “Beck?”  
“In here,” they can hear his voice behind one of the curtains, one of the very few closed ones.  
Without hesitation, Jade walks all the way up and disappears into the same small fitting room.  
Tori looks around with big eyes, but nobody else is standing outside of the rooms right now, nobody else has seen. She isn’t sure if the store would approve two people, a couple nonetheless, to be in one of those small spaces together.  
But Jade stays inside with Beck the whole time, while he’s trying on the clothes. Tori doesn’t get to see even one, while she hears them talk every now and then, especially Jade voicing her opinion about each piece of clothing.  
When they come back out, he has decided on the pants, the shirt for which she picked the color and another shirt she brought into the fitting room with her.  
Tori wonders if Jade always influences Beck’s choice of clothes so heavily. And she also wonders how much Beck likes it. He has actually asked for her opinion, even before going into the fitting room, but also inside, Tori has heard him ask her about certain things like the size or the color or the style. Also, he could just as well go shopping by himself. Tori knows he sometimes does that. She has also once met him and Andre together, buying clothes. Obviously, he can make decision himself and Jade doesn’t kill him for it. This is his style.  
But Tori has the feeling that Beck likes getting Jade’s approval and that he trusts her opinion like no other.


	4. Sleepy

They also eat at the mall, all three of them, while they talk about the upcoming school year, before they finally go home, Beck coming inside with them and disappearing with Jade in her room for another hour before driving home for the day.  
The next day, he’s back like always. It’s after lunchtime that Beck and Jade are about to leave the house once more.  
Caitlyn doesn’t seem to want to ask where they’re going this time, as if she knows. Or she doesn’t care this time. She’s sitting with Tori’s father and they’re talking. About nothing really. Tori’s father is telling some of his most boring stories from work (he’s a police officer and knows quite interesting stories but he somehow prefers to tell the more boring ones) and Jade’s mother is answering with some boring stories from her own work.  
Tori has played with her phone and considered going upstairs. Now, she sees her chance by escaping with Beck and Jade like the day before.  
“Where’re you going?” she therefore asks, jumping up from the couch.  
Jade looks annoyed as she explains: “Visiting my dad. And no, you cannot come.”  
Tori wouldn’t have asked to come. It’s not her place to visit Jade’s father. But Jade just assumes it possible after Tori kind of invited herself along the day before.  
Without another word, Jade and Beck leave the house.  
But they are visiting Jade’s father? Both of them? Is Beck going with her?  
Tori doesn’t know why, but it’s weird. Visting a parent who you’re not living with is something different than being home. So taking someone with you for it is different somehow. So, Beck being here isn’t as weird as him coming with Jade to her father.  
Curiously, she turns around and asks Caitlyn: “Does he always go with her to visit her dad?”  
Caitlyn looks up from her conversation with Tori’s father. “He doesn’t. He doesn’t like her father much.”  
Beck doesn’t like her father much? Beck who never really dislikes anyone? Well, yes, Jade’s father isn’t an easily likeable guy as far as Tori can judge from the one time she has met him. But Beck’s more the person to not care about someone, not to dislike him which Caitlyn said with her words.  
Caitlyn notices her confused look and makes sure: “You have met him, right? At Jade’s play?” As if she otherwise wouldn’t even want to talk about Jade’s father, most likely to protect Jade’s privacy.  
Tori wonders if this means that Jade has talked to her mother about that whole mess with that play. Tori knows her mother had to work at the time, which is why she wasn’t there as well. But did Jade tell her mother all about it, even mentioning Tori?  
In any case... Yes, Tori met Jade’s father at that time. She was with Jade for her play, was at her side, giving her emotional support. Unlike Beck. Yes, afterwards he was there again, celebrating. Before, he assured her everything would go great. But when they worked out the plan for Jade being able to do her play her own way, Beck didn’t try to argue himself into the theater. He was perfectly fine going to Wok Star to help keeping Mrs. Lee from coming. They wouldn’t necessarily needed him there, come to think of it. He probably could’ve decided to be in the theater instead to watch Jade’s play for the one time it would be going like it was supposed to.  
Tori tries to think back and realizes that Jade also didn’t ask Beck to be with her once. Though Tori knows by now that both Beck and Jade do insist on the other one watching each their plays.  
Did Jade not ask Beck to be at her play because she knew that Beck disliked her father and they would have met there? Did Beck not come to the play because he dislikes her father so much that he didn’t feel like it?  
Trying to think all that through, she says slowly: “Yeah, I have. He isn’t a good father.” After all, that has been one of her very first thoughts back when she has first seen him.  
“He isn’t,” Caitlyn confirms without hesitation. “As far as I gather, Beck doesn’t like to be around him. But he’s probably going with her because they’ll be able to leave his place early and can even go to the RV before coming back.”  
Well, okay, and that doesn’t make sense. “They could also just go there at any time.”  
Caitlyn gently shakes her head. “I told Jade to be around the house for the first few weeks of living here.”  
And that’s apparently it. Because Caitlyn told Jade that, Jade isn’t constantly at the RV with Beck. Jade’s actually doing as she’s told. But she and Beck won’t let this chance get away to be without supervision.  
Caitlyn knows and lets them, as they also will visit Jade’s father and therefore aren’t only out to be alone. Just like she was fine with them leaving to shop clothes.  
Tori would’ve never guessed that Jade and her mother were particularly close. Now, she slowly gets the feeling that they are. With Jade not out to fight Tori’s father over smaller rules like having to leave her bedroom door open with Beck inside, and her mother standing up for her for the bigger rules like Beck being allowed to sleep over. With Jade obeying her mother’s order to be home more but Caitlyn not actually forcing her to stay home or alike.

 

On Monday, their parents are back to work and Trina’s at college, which leaves Tori and Jade home alone. With Beck.  
That doesn’t mean Tori sees them much. She lets Beck into the house and that’s it. She later goes up to them and tells them she’s going out to meet with Andre and they can come along if they want. Beck’s playing around with a camera in the room while Jade lies on her bed reading, when Tori walks inside to tell them.  
They don’t want to come and so, she leaves them in the house on their own.  
When she comes back a few hours later, way after lunch, she finds both of them on the couch in the living room. The TV is running and Beck’s watching it. Jade isn’t.  
She’s lying on the couch, her head in Beck’s lap and her eyes closed. Lazily, Beck strokes with his hand through her hair.  
“Hi,” Tori says, walking inside, assessing the situation.  
Beck looks over to her and smiles one of his easy smiles. “Hey.”  
Jade meanwhile doesn’t look up. And Tori knows there’s only one reason why she wouldn’t react to Tori in a setting like this at all: She must be asleep. Otherwise she wouldn’t let Tori see her like this, content, with closed eyes, her head in Beck’s lap...  
“Is she sleeping?” Tori softly asks.  
“She is,” Beck confirms, only shortly glancing down to Jade again but with a gentle smile, then he asks: “How’s Andre?”  
“He’s going a little crazy trying to think of lyrics for his new song,” Tori says.  
It makes Beck grin. “Typical.”  
Of course, that totally is typical for Andre. Always thinking about new lyrics or new melodies and regularly going crazy about it when it doesn’t work the way he wants it to.  
Anyway... Just now, Tori remembers: “And we thought about getting the whole group together and meeting up tomorrow if everyone has time.”  
“Oh, sure. Yeah, he texted me yesterday that he thought of something alike,” Beck says. Tori didn’t know that but she’s glad to see that Beck likes the idea. He even says: “We have time.” So, he’s speaking for Jade too, while she sleeps in his lap.  
Tori will take that. She won’t wait until Jade’s awake and can claim the opposite.  
Therefore, she decides with a grin: “Cool! I’ll text Cat and Robbie.”  
And with that, she leaves for her room.

 

She doesn’t stay up her room for the rest of the day. Of course, she doesn’t.  
Before her father, Caitlyn or Trina get home, she goes downstairs again and finds Beck and Jade still there, watching TV, Jade awake again though.  
Her head doesn’t lie on his lap anymore, but is rested against his shoulder, so they’re still sitting very close.  
Tori decides to watch TV with them. Probably, they will also get into talking while commenting the program or alike and they will have a good time.  
But she’s still in the process of sitting down on the second couch, when she notices Jade looking at her with narrowed eyes. Then, she already asks, harshly: “What are you doing?”  
That’s a weird question as it’s obvious, isn’t it? “I thought I could watch TV with you guys.”  
“No,” Jade decides.  
Well, Tori won’t let herself get pushed around by Jade. Especially not in her own home. “You can’t forbid me to sit in my own living room.”  
Jade rolls her eyes while she suddenly stands up, pulling Beck, who has followed their exchange silently, with her, taking him by his hand. “Fine. Let’s go upstairs.”  
Jade pulls Beck to the stairs while Tori jumps back up from the couch too and says: “Come on. We’re friends. Let’s hang out.”  
Jade isn’t in the mood though. “No.”  
And finally, Beck speaks up, mildly, apparently squeezing Jade’s hand in his: “You know... You will be sisters.”  
Jade stops and lets go of him, turns around and glares at him. “Say that one more time and you can leave altogether.”  
Tori feels a little offended that Jade seems to hate that thought so much. After all, Beck’s right. They will be sisters – if it works out between their parents and they get married some day. And as sisters, as family, they should bond, right?  
It’s a good arguement and Tori likes that Beck’s fighting for her; only that he’s not and says, though he never gives in under Jade’s glare: “I’m sorry.” As if he did indeed say something horrible to her and should apologize for that.  
He leans forwards and kisses Jade which she lets happen. Only then, he gently says: “I’m just saying... You should play nice.”  
He shrugs and good, he’s still somewhat on Tori’s side. And he’s the one person who can make Jade play nice.  
Jade doesn’t seem impressed though and cocks an eyebrow. “So, you want to have her around, every time you will be over from now on?”  
“You know I don’t,” Beck easily answers and Tori can’t help herself: “Hey!”  
Somehow, she’s offended. If even Beck doesn’t want to hang out with her, though Tori would count him and Andre as her best friends out of the group...  
“I’m sorry,” he says, turning back to him. “But Jade and I love spending time alone.”  
Tori didn’t know that they spent so much time alone and that they loved that. Well, before Jade and her mother moved in. By now, she has obviously gathered that they spend much more time with each other than she could’ve ever guessed.  
Jade rolls her eyes, takes his hand in hers again, pulling him upstairs with her. “God, don’t apologize to her.”  
And with that, they’re leaving for Jade’s room.

 

The next day, Beck comes to pick Jade and Tori up to meet with Robbie, Andre and Cat at Nozu’s first for an early lunch. They go to the movies after and then to Karaoke Dokie. They have a really great time together.  
Beck takes Jade and Tori home after and Jade, who wasn’t happy with the arrangements to begin with and would’ve liked for Tori to have to get there by herself, makes Tori get out of the car first.  
Tori’s at her front door when she turns around to see if Jade’ll follow her, only to see that Jade leaned over and has started to hardcore make out with Beck. Well, then...

On Wednesday Jade and Beck do hang out with Tori. Tori eats lunch when they come downstairs (Beck having come over in the morning again) and sit down at the table with her. And somehow, they start to talk and don’t really stop until Jade’s mother comes home.  
Beck leaves only shortly after, surprisingly early as he usually stays until late evening. He doesn’t feel well, apparently. Not that he says so, but he’s sneezing often enough and his throat seems to be sore – and Jade doesn’t kiss him goodbye, which Tori takes as a sure sign that Beck’s sick and she doesn’t want to get infected.  
Well, Tori thinks it’s too late for that now, after making out in the car so hard the day before. If she didn’t get infected then, she won’t now.  
She will be right about that. Beck’ll be the only one who’ll get sick.


	5. Sick

On Thursday, Jade and her mother now living in the house for one and a half weeks, Beck doesn’t come to visit. Tori doesn’t notice at first. She does realize that something’s different. For one, Jade’s door is closed. Also, Jade comes down in between to get herself something to drink while Tori tries out a new piano piece she’s composing.  
It’s a whole while later that Tori gets that something seems strange to her because Beck isn’t there. As if it’s unusal for Beck to not be at their house.  
Tori asks Jade to eat lunch together, which Jade accepts. Tori doesn’t ask why Jade isn’t spending time with Beck. She’s almost sure that they must have fought. Well, not yesterday, Tori would know of that. But maybe, they texted throughout the night and fought there somehow. Or they just decided to both have a day to themselves. Which they haven’t had for at least the last one and half weeks.  
She finds out that that’s not it, late that afternoon.  
Jade’s mother has come home early and is now sitting on the couch, still working on her laptop, but rather relaxed.  
Tori’s sitting with her, talking with her every now and then, while texting with a boy she met at Karaoke Dokie the day before yesterday.  
Suddenly, Jade comes down the stairs and directly goes for the front door, without given an ounce of attention to her mother and Tori. She only stops when her mother sharply asks, not raising her eyes from her laptop, very much like the last time she stopped her like this: “Jade, where’re you going?”  
“To Beck’s,” Jade answers in a sharp voice, looking at her mother.  
Her mother now also looks up and to her daughter. “Jade,” she says, almost warningly. Well, Jade leaving for Beck’s is obviously against their agreement. Jade’s still supposed to stay at the house.  
Jade rolls her eyes. “He’s sick.”  
Her mother looks at her for a while, before she says: “Then bring him.” So, Jade’s allowed to leave, but not for long.  
“Ugh,” Jade makes, but doesn’t say anything more and walks through the door, throwing it shut behind her.  
Tori wonders if he really will listen to her mother, if she will only pick Beck up and bring him here. Jade’s mother doesn’t look concerned and gets back to work.  
Anyway... Beck is sick? In what way? And why does that necessarily mean Jade has to visit him?

Jade comes back a whole while later, Beck walking inside by her side.  
He does look sick and even a little sweaty. His nose seems to be running, he has a tissue in one of his hands.  
“Hi, everyone,” he says, sounding a little breathy.  
“Hey,” Tori answers and Jade’s mother also looks up, watching Beck: “Hey, sweety. Not feeling well?”  
Beck only shrugs and Jade also doesn’t say a word as she grabs his hand and pulls him upstairs. Well, that’s that.

Jade’s mother starts to make dinner soon after and Tori helps her. Trina and their father also come home and are in the kitchen with them, their father helping out a little too, while they all talk.  
Finally, Jade’s mother calls upstaris that dinner’s ready. The rest of the family sits down at the table and they start to eat, when Jade comes downstairs.  
“Isn’t Beck coming?” her mother asks.  
Jade rolls her eyes, but not about her mother: “He doesn’t feel able to stand up.” Is he seriously that sick? “Can I get some food to him and eat with him up there?” Despite her mother expecting her to eat with the family?  
Her mother’s fine with this exception though: “Sure.”  
Jade nods and quickly gets some food on her plate before she leaves for her room again.  
Tori already notices her father watching her darkly though. And when Jade’s gone he turns to Jade’s mother expectantly. Well, Tori’s father also always expects them to eat together if possible. Otherwise they have barely a chance to spend time together, which makes the meals that much more important.  
Caitlyn notices him looking, of course, and slowly returns the look, saying: “He’s sick.”  
That doesn’t impress Tori’s father. Caitlyn adds though, sharply: “I already experienced you sick. Let her take care of him as I did with you.”  
Oh, Tori’s father can be a total whiner when he’s sick. He’s such a strong person otherwise, but when he gets a cold or alike, it’s suddenly as if the world ends and he’s about to die. The last time, he already was together with Caitlyn and she let Trina and Tori out of the responsibility of taking care of their father and did it in their stead, extremely lovely.  
Yes, of course he can’t argue now. Tori has to smile about how Caitlyn always manages to get her point across so quickly. It somehow makes it uncomplicated. And that’s exactly what Tori’s father needs.

After dinner, Tori goes up to her own room. Trina joins her there and they talk for a long time, before Trina uses the laptop and Tori starts to read the book that’s lying ready on her nightstand for two months now.  
She wants to go downstairs after a while, read it there or watch TV, depending on what her father and Caitlyn are doing and watching, as Trina’s listening to music. She’s using headphones but can’t help but sing along every now and then. Because of her little talent, Tori can’t stand it and has to get out of the room.  
She passes by Jade’s room. The door stands wide open, not just a little bit this time. And as Tori walks by, she casually looks inside and sees Beck lying in Jade’s bed. Alone. Jade’s not around.  
Tori stops, turns back and walks into the room, knocking on the doorframe. Jade truly isn’t there, while Beck looks... feverish. Even from out of the room. It looks like he’s sweating, his face is glowing. As he now turns to Tori, she’s sure to also see in his eyes that he’s having a fever. Not to mention that he must have a stuffy nose as he’s breathing through his mouth.  
“Hey, how are you?” she carefully asks.  
“Not good,” he answers. He sounds like it’s worse than ‘not good’.  
“Can I do something?” she asks.  
Beck looks at her and maybe, he’s thinking about how Tori could help him, then: “Where’s Jade?”  
Well... Tori doesn’t know. But would knowing that help him?  
Before she can answer anything, Jade’s voice cuts through their conversation with Jade walking inside the room and passing by Tori: “I told you I was gonna get you some tea.” She must’ve heard Beck’s question.  
She makes a gesture that clearly orders Beck to sit up. He follows her order, sits up and pulls himself back on the bed, so that he can lean against the headboard. Jade quickly fluffs up the pillow between his back and the headboard with one hand while she gives Beck a cup that must have tea in it.  
“Just need you,” Beck murmurs and not only takes the cup but also Jade’s hand, drawing it to his mouth, kissing it.  
Jade lets him as she sits down on the side of the bed, next to him, rolling her eyes though. “Drink up,” she tells him and then turns to Tori, cocking an eyebrow: “And what are you doing here?”  
“I wanted to check in,” Tori answers and considers her wanting to do that quite reasonable.  
Jade seems to consider for a moment if that’s good enough for her, then: “As you see, he’s still alive, as much as he whines.”  
She throws him a strict look, which he doesn’t even seem to notice. He still holds one of her hands with his own, now having put both on his chest, while drinking out of his cup with help of his other hand.  
Jade herself has now put her free hand on Beck’s forehead. Tori’s sure it’s burning.  
Well, anyway... Jade doesn’t look like she wants company right now – and Beck doesn’t even seem to remember Tori’s there, is absorbed with Jade somehow.  
So, Tori says a quick bye (and doesn’t get one back) and then leaves.

Tori’s downstairs later and watches TV, even long after their parents are in bed too. Tori knows Trina already is sleeping as well, has grown tired early, after she hasn’t slept well the night before.  
Tori’s watching one of those weird celebrity shows, when she hears someone coming downstairs. She turns around to see none other than Jade.  
Jade also notices her, but doesn’t say anything as she walks to the kitchen and gets herself a glas of water. She isn’t leaving afterwards, instead walks up to the couch, Tori isn’t sitting on, and Tori takes that as an invitation to speak up: “Is Beck okay?”  
“Mhm,” Jade makes, which Tori understands as a yes.  
She has to say though: “He was weird earlier.” The way he asked for Jade, how he didn’t even notice Tori anymore after Jade was there...  
Jade shrugs, having sat down on the couch. She takes a sip of her water before she says: “He gets clingy when he gets that sick. This morning, he told me he wouldn’t come over because he wasn’t feeling well. And then, this afternoon, he called and asked me to come and told me he would die if I wouldn’t.”  
She rolls her eyes and Tori can’t help but snort. That sounds a little like her father. He also always claims he’s dying when he has a cold.  
Tori finds it amusing at times but unnerving at others. She was more than glad when Caitlyn took care of him the last time he was sick like that.  
Meanwhile, Jade doesn’t seem to have a problem taking care of Beck. Jade who never takes care of anyone. Or does she?  
And with how close they always are, how Beck kissed her hand: “You know, you could get infected.” Maybe, she already did. Beck must’ve already been sick yesterday and the day before as stuff like that usually takes some time to develope. They definitely have kissed during that time, more than once.  
Jade smirks, isn’t worried: “Then he has to cater to my every whim.”  
She obviously enjoys that thought. Tori has to smile too. Beck’ll definitely do that, especially when it’s his fault that Jade’s sick.  
Jade takes another sip out of her glas before she looks to the TV: “What are you watching?”  
Tori tells her and somehow, they start talking about the program. They talk and laugh together for at least half an hour. Tori’s enjoying it immensely.  
Then, they suddenly hear something. Someone. On the stairs.  
They turn around. This time, it’s Beck walking down. Not looking feverish anymore but exhausted and searching.  
“Jade?” he asks as he finds them with his eyes, walking closer.  
“I thought you were sleeping,” Jade states.  
Beck drops on the couch next to her, putting one of his hands on her knee. “I woke up and you weren’t there.”  
“I’m watching TV,” she says as he leans back into the couch.  
“Okay. You keep watching.”  
Jade rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I totally need your permission.”  
Tori isn’t too sure Beck has heard her answer in any way. He has closed his eyes and Tori can even imagine him already being back asleep.  
Jade promptly slaps his arm. “And don’t fall asleep! Get up and to my room!”  
She starts to push him off the couch with him opening his eyes back up and only making an unwilling sound.  
She continues: “I won’t sleep here and will lock my door, so you can’t stumble in my room while I’m asleep if you stay here.”  
For a second, Tori wonders why that should be important to Beck. He seems really out of it and maybe he’s fine with sleeping on the couch. She knows better, when she watches him stand up and looking at Jade weakly, mumbling: “Gonna come back to bed with me?”  
Okay, he needs Jade around. Her threat was for him to have to sleep alone. And he can’t do that right now.  
She sighs as she stands up. “Sure.”  
She takes his hand in hers and pulls him to the stairs with him. Other than Beck, who Tori isn’t sure about, Jade does know Tori’s still there though. She turns back to her. “We’ll continue this next night.”  
Tori nods with a smile. She likes that idea.


	6. TV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to a pretty short chapter. I hope the next one will be longer again.  
> Thank you so much for the kudos an also both those comments I got on this story until now. :)  
> Please enjoy this chapter!

The next day is already Friday. Beck’s feeling better today – though Jade and he still mostly keep in Jade’s room.  
Tori assumes he will stay over again. He was still at the house for dinner (and ate dinner with them) and afterwards went upstairs with Jade again.  
Tori’s once more the one sitting in the living room for the longest, watching TV there, and she gets surprised by Beck and Jade coming downstairs after Tori’s father and Jade’s mother have already been to bed for a while (with Trina being at a party tonight).  
They go straight for the door, Beck wearing his jacket, while Jade already wears some more comfy clothes than earlier. She won’t go out like this, Tori’s sure.  
So, she asks: “Still going home?”  
“Yeah, Jade’s throwing me out,” Beck claims, but not angry or resentful, almost teasing instead.  
Jade rolls her eyes and actually explains for Tori, as if necessary: “He’s still sick but getting better, and when that’s the case, he throws himself around in bed like crazy. It annoys me like hell.”  
Tori understands that and she bets Beck does too, though he pouts now.  
Jade turns back to him and kisses his pouty mouth, which makes Beck smile again.  
“See you tomorrow,” Jade quietly tells him and he whispers back: “Love you.”  
They kiss again, then Beck tells both Jade and Tori to have a good night and sleep well, before he leaves.  
Jade closes the door behind him and Tori expects her to leave for her room without another word to Tori, but instead, she comes and sits down on the second couch, directly making herself comfortable, as she asks: “So, where were we?”  
Tori doesn’t understand at first, until Jade adds: “Yesterday.”  
Oh, the two of them had a good time yesterday late evening and Jade did say they would continue it. Well, Tori’s definitely up for it.

They stay up long, talking and laughing, especially making fun of the TV program. They only go to bed when they’re extremely tired – Jade saying they could do the same the next night.  
Does Jade actually start to become comfortable in the house and especially with the idea of Tori becoming her sister? She probably never will be all that good with Trina, but she’s spending time with Tori now. That’s something.  
On Saturday, she even spends time with both of them though. Trina and Tori want to go out for lunch and their father tells them to ask Jade and (he’s hesitating as he adds) Beck to come along. Tori’s sure her father only wants to be alone in the house with Caitlyn. And that he won’t get lucky because Jade will never agree to grabbing lunch with Tori and Trina of all people.  
She’s mistaken with the last part though. Jade doesn’t look thrilled but exchanges a look with Beck who looks back patiently, before she rolls her eyes: “Well, yeah, sure. But only because we wanted to go out anyway. And because I guess we could become... related.” She doesn’t manage to say sisters or even family. She adresses only Trina for the last part, darkly: “You’ll keep your hands off of Beck though.”  
“As if I want a high school guy, now that I’m at college,” Trina claims though Tori knows she still would take her chances with Beck if he would be willing.  
But this is fine for a foundation. Jade being open to come with them at all and Trina not planing on flirting with Beck could mean that they’ll be able to endure each other.

They do. It works. They are having fun, all four of them, even though Jade and Trina make snarky remarks at each other every now and then. Beck knows how to keep Jade in check – and Tori knows with Trina.  
After they’re done eating and still talk for a little bit, they go their seperate ways. Trina wants to go to the mall and Tori joins her, also to show her the shoes she’d like, which she found when she was out with Beck and Jade, but then forgot all about until Trina mentioned the mall just now.  
Beck and Jade meanwhile decide to drive back home; Tori isn’t sure they’re actually going home right away, but anyway...  
Trina organizes for one of her friends, with whom she wanted to meet up afterwards anyway, to meet her and Tori at the mall and for her to bring Tori home after. After all, all four of them came here together in Beck’s car and as he and Jade are driving away now...  
Tori’s having a good time with Trina and her friend at the mall and Trina supports Tori in her choice of shoes and decides on an own pair. They agree to start begging their father to come with them to the mall at tonight’s dinner.  
When Tori gets back home, Beck’s car’s already back in their driveway, so Beck and Jade must be back.

 

At dinner, after Tori and Trina started pushing their father into a decision to go to the mall with them next weekend, Jade tells all of them that Beck will stay over once more. Tori sees that her father still likes none of that but he doesn’t say a thing.  
Tori doesn’t expect Jade to come back down this night and talk to her again while watching TV, though Jade did say last night that they should repeat it again. But Beck’s over after all. He also has been the night before last, when they first sat together like this, but he was sick.  
Tori guesses that he fell asleep early, while they usually stay awake together. Jade was probably bored and glad to get out of the room, away from the sick and sleeping Beck, by talking to Tori.  
Beck’s good enough that he’ll stay up with Jade again, Tori’s sure.  
Yet, not too long after their parents went up for bed, Trina having left a whole lot earlier for their room, Tori zapping through the programs, trying to decide what to watch or what else to do until she’s tired, Jade’s coming downstairs and sits once more down on the couch Tori isn’t sitting on.  
“Where’s Beck?” Tori asks her curiously. Is he asleep already after all?  
“In my room,” Jade says. “He decided to finally start writing the script for the idea he had in his head since... pretty much the move, I think.”  
Tori doesn’t know anything about that idea yet. “What’s it about?”  
“It’s a horror short film and starts with a young woman moving into a room and changing all of it because it’s too tacky.”  
Is Jade serious? Beck had an idea since Jade moved about a young woman moving into a room where she changed everything? And is she calling Tori’s decoration from before tacky? Tori isn’t sure if her friend is making fun of her or if this is actually Beck’s idea.  
Jade continues: “Somehow, whenever she isn’t around, it changes back ever so slightly.”  
She notices Tori’s face and promptly adds: “Yes, he constantly draws ideas out of my life though it’s barely that obvious.”  
He does? Tori hasn’t known that. Well, but Beck has to get his ideas from somewhere and as Jade and he are spending almost all their time together...  
Jade draws Tori’s attention back to the TV by making a comment about the weird program she chose – though Tori hasn’t chosen that, that’s just where she stopped when Jade came along.  
They watch TV and talk over an hour when Tori grows more and more tired and starts yawning.  
Jade also seems over it and notices: “It was more fun the day before yesterday.”  
“It was,” Tori confirms. That was when it was the most fun, staying up with Jade like this. And Tori doesn’t think it’s only because it was new to sit together with Jade like that. It was because the TV program also was different at that day and time and it was just so much funnier to make fun of that than this right now or that yesterday.  
That’s why she suggests: “Maybe, we have to repeat this next Thursday.”  
“Sure. I’ve got time.”  
Okay, no, Tori wouldn’t have expected Jade to agree to that. “Really?”  
Jade smirks. She must know why Tori is a little confused, but she acts like Tori’s reaction stems from her not feeling able to do this again next Thursday: “Need to go to bed early on school nights?”  
“No,” Tori answers. “Let’s do every Thursday from now on.”  
It sounds like a fun thing. Yeah, they can’t always stay up way after midnight but once a week until midnight... Tori can handle that. And she thinks it would be great to bond with Jade like this.  
“Sure,” Jade says and well, that’s it.  
Tori can’t help but grin, as they both stand up to go to each their rooms for their beds, without needing to explicitly talk about that. Instead, she asks, a little too excited maybe: “Are we starting to become sisters? Huh?”  
“Don’t say that,” Jade harshly scolds her. But Tori can’t help but notice that she doesn’t threaten to not uphold their new found agreement about having some time for each other each Thursday night.  
Upstairs, Tori can hear Beck’s voice, as soon as Jade walks into her room, while she herself passes it: “You’re finally back. Had fun?”  
Of course, Tori has to stop to be able to listen to the answer.  
“Yeah,” is the only thing Jade lazely says on the topic though, then: “Done with your script?”  
“Not fully, but with a whole lot. I’m excited for you to read it,” he says.  
Then, it’s silent and only after a moment, Tori realizes that they probably started kissing because that’s what they do, that’s how they are around each other. Well, either way, there’s nothing said anymore in the room that interests Tori at all, so she finally goes to her own room.


	7. Tori's father

Sunday starts too early for Tori’s taste. The family agreed to eat a late breakfast together again and Tori gets up early enough to still be able to shower before, though she’d rather stay in bed the whole day. After all, school starts again the next day and a last day to sleep in before the new school year sounds really good.  
But she’s up now and dragging herself to the bathroom on the upper floor.  
She has her hand on the handle of the door, when she hears a quiet voice that must be just on the other side: “We shouldn’t do this. Not with everyone home.”  
It’s Jade. She must stand directly at the door. Tori later imagines that she leaned with her back against it, while Beck stood in front of her, pressing her against that same door. Later, she also will regret her nosiness, with later coming quite soon.  
For now, she’s just nosy, putting her ear against the door to listen in on the conversation Jade is curiously having in the bathroom.  
Beck’s obviously the one to answer: “Come on. Tori and Trina are probably still asleep and we heard their dad and your mom going downstairs.”  
“He will kill us,” Jade murmurs but Tori finds that she doesn’t sound angry or like she’s refusing in any way. It’s almost teasing though this isn’t how Jade talks at all. Beck’s the one teasing in that relationship.  
“He won’t know,” Beck says and after a short moment of silence, he adds, yes, totally teasing: “Except if you’re your usual loud self.”  
“Watch yourself or,” Jade reacts, almost a little harsh, but... Beck must’ve done something to interrupt her and it isn’t a kiss on her lips. She moans, but not loudly, surpressing most of it.  
Tori’s eyes widen. Okay. Obviously, she already caught on to what they were talking about. She knew they were about to have sex – but the way Jade’s moaning... they must’ve sort of started.  
There’s another soft moan by Jade, then she suddenly says: “Let’s get into the shower.”  
It doesn’t take long, then the shower is turned on and Tori’s sure that will drown out every other possible sound, if they aren’t too loud. So, the only thing they need to worry about is someone looking for one of them (if noone is specifically looking, it’s easily assumeable that one of them is still in Jade’s room which door stands open, but not so far that you automatically look inside). Or to meet someone in the hallway when they leave the bathroom together.  
Well, Tori doesn’t want to have any of it in any case. She already heard way too much. She already knows way too much. How can she ever get back into that bathroom?  
Quickly, she flees back into her bedroom, where Trina’s still fast asleep.  
She stays until Trina wakes up and they go to the bathroom together to wash up before breakfast. Beck and Jade are back in Jade’s room at that point.  
Tori can barely look at them during breakfast, but throughout the day, her relaxing the whole day, she starts to forget about it. Yes, she’s glad that the two of them mostly keep to Jade’s room that day. But she’s in the living room when Beck leaves that late afternoon and finds that her mind already kind of pretends it didn’t happen. As she also hasn’t seen anything, it’s actually easy to pretend.

 

The next morning, all of them are up early and eating breakfast together, not at all with all of them sitting down. It’s somehow a little bit more hectic with all of them having to leave the house.  
Tori’s done eating, when suddenly the front door opens and none other than Beck walks inside.  
“Good morning,” he greets the family with a smile, walking closer. Tori, Trina and Caitlyn answer the greeting, while Jade dryly says: “You’re late.”  
She’s leaning against the counter, close to the coffee machine. She has already eaten one pancake and is holding another. She’s also drinking coffee but puts her own cup down on the counter now, to pick up another, she also must’ve prepared. She gives that to Beck, before taking her own again, while Beck gives her a quick peck on the lips.  
“Sorry,” he says. “I actually drove to your old apartment first. It’s just too early for me to remember you moved.”  
He lies his free hand in Jade’s lower back as he takes a sip out of his coffee.  
Tori guesses that Beck ate breakfast at home. But she knew before that Beck and Jade mostly drive to school together. She can imagine that Beck always eats at home and then drives to Jade, early enough to still drink a coffee there, as if both of them need that time in the morning for each other – not alone as Jade’s mother always must’ve been there too.  
Tori’s father also has gathered now that Beck has come to take Jade to school and always does that – as Jade made him a coffee before and now claims he’s late. He now says: “We should’ve talked about this before. Obviously, Beck, you don’t need to come over here in the mornings. I need to drop Tori off at school anyway and can take Jade with me.”  
Tori’s father brings her to school almost every day. He has with Trina too, even after the two girls got their car (which does belong to both of them, even though Tori still hasn’t managed to get her driver’s licence). It somehow has become precious time for daughters and father. Sometimes, Trina has also driven the two of them, especially when their father had to get to work earlier or alike. But if they had the chance to drive with him, they mostly chose to do that.  
Now, Trina of course has the car. The little family already talked about that at the beginning of summer break. Tori’s father would keep bringing her to school and if he doesn’t have the time, Trina will be required to bring Tori to school before driving to college. At least as long as she lives at home.  
Tori isn’t opposed to taking Jade with them. It makes sense, as Beck has to drive a detour to get here from his home to school.  
But Jade definitely seems opposed to that plan. Darkly, she looks up and to Tori’s father.  
Tori’s sure to see that Beck gently rubs Jade’s lower back, as if to calm her down, as he says with an easy smile: “No, it’s fine.”  
Well, there’s something decisive in his voice that Tori barely ever hears with him. Something that says that it’s not up for discussion. Beck usually doesn’t talk like this.  
Her father also must’ve heard it and slightly raises his eyebrows, asking: “Can Tori have a ride with you then?”  
The way to school is also a slight detour for Tori’s father. She knows he doesn’t mind but there’s something he doesn’t like about this situation and that’s why he’s asking.  
“No,” Jade directly says, in that harsh tone Tori’s so used to.  
Her father doesn’t like that tone, but once more Caitlyn’s stepping in, telling her boyfriend gently: “I know you like driving Tori to school. Use it as the quality time it is. And if Jade can get a ride with you but Beck still decides to pick her up, it’s their decision.”  
Tori’s father can’t really say anything against that. “I guess you’re right.”

Trina’s the first to leave with Tori and their father following while Beck and Jade still drink their coffees and Caitlyn packs her things.  
Tori keeps thinking about that exchange and how her father constantly reacts to Beck. No, he has been nice enough to him during the meals when Beck was there as well. But otherwise, with every day passing, Tori’s father seems to dislike him more. Tori doesn’t understand because Beck’s extremely charming and likeable. And she’s also sure he has liked him before Jade and her mother moved into the house – before Beck suddenly was there a whole lot more than before as well.  
But yes, he seemed unnerved that Beck was over so much after the first few days, then also questioned him sleeping over, never was too happy to see him around and now even told him that he wouldn’t have to come in the mornings. And Tori knows that wasn’t for Beck’s benefit somehow.  
Now, that they’re alone in the car, alone for the first time at all since Jade and Caitlyn moved in, and Tori’s thinking about it, she has to ask: “Why don’t you like Beck?”  
Her father’s confused. “Why do you think I don’t like Beck? He’s a decent young man.”  
Sure, but her father isn’t behaving like he is. “You don’t seem thrilled having him around.”  
Her father glances from the road in front of them to her. It’s almost as if he’s wondering how she knows as if it wasn’t totally obvious. Slowly he says: “That’s not about him.”  
“What’s it about?” Tori wants to know.  
Her father sighs quietly, before he answers: “I don’t like seeing how serious it is beween Jade and him.” What? “They’re the same age as you and Trina and... that could be you. You could have a boyfriend you love that way and that loves you back that way. It could be your boyfriend that’s always around and practically part of the family. And I don’t like it.”  
Not because he begrudges Beck and Jade that, but because he always fears loosing his daughters and thinks he will loose them when they get into a serious relationship.  
Though how serious are Beck and Jade really? Yes, they have been together for a long time now but some are together for ten years and are still not serious in that sense, while the relationship of others is serious right away. And yes, Beck and Jade are sleeping over, but... well.  
“You do realize I also would’ve had boys sleep over if I was allowed, right?” And that would make it seem just as serious as the relationship between her friends. That would make it seem like they’re part of the family if everyone’s used to eating breakfast together.  
But her father glances to her again, smiling indulgently. “This isn’t only about sleeping over, Tori.”  
Tori furrows her brows. What’s it about then?  
Her father explains without her having to ask: “It’s about the way they behave around each other, how they feel comfortable around each other. It’s about the way they look at each other. It reminds me a lot of how your mother and I used to look at each other back in our early twenties.” That’s when her parents met, in their early twenties. Do Beck and Jade really remind him of his own relationship with Tori’s mother? The woman he loved so much that her death would’ve destroyed him if he wouldn’t have had two daughters to take care of?  
He continues: “Well, it’s also a little like Caitlyn and I look at each other, I think. Just with more youth and therefore more... dreams still.”  
It’s clear that he doesn’t know how to express himself. He isn’t a good talker.  
But Tori thinks she understands anyway. She doesn’t necessarily see Beck and Jade that way, but... maybe, that’s because she has already gotten to know them really well when they haven’t been together for that long. They already were very much in love but... they were still so much younger somehow and their relationship as well. Maybe, they have grown stronger and have changed a little. Their dynamic hasn’t changed much, but they have grown up a little more and maybe they are even closer now.  
“You think they’ll go the distance?” When they remind him of him and Tori’s mother, and him and Caitlyn...  
“They already have gone quite some way, as far as I understand,” her father answers and... well, that’s true. They have gone further than most at their age. Now already a couple for two and a half years, dating for almost three as they started dating only shortly after meeting for their Freshman year at Hollywood Arts.  
Her father continues with a smile: “I’m sure we won’t get rid of Beck any time soon. And I may not like it, but some day you’ll also have a boy in your life like that. As soon as that’s the case, give me some time to adjust, yes? Just like I need time to adjust now to see a young girl like you already having such a person in her life.”  
That’s so typical for her father.  
Tori lies a hand on his arm as she assures him: “Trina and I will never leave you, you know that, right?”  
He shoots her a smile. “I love you, Tori.”  
“Love you too, Dad,” she returns and then adds: “But try not to let your feelings about Jade’s relationship show too much. She’ll take it the wrong way.” As him trying to control her life.  
“Yes, thanks for that advice,” he answers in a tone of voice, telling her that he knows that too but he still appreciate her looking out for him. “I think I’ll talk to Jade to explain to her what it’s actually about. She shouldn’t think I dislike Beck like you thought. That’ll surely make her hate me.”  
Tori wonders if that’s true, if Jade would hate someone for disliking Beck. But for some reason, she thinks that very possible. Of course, Jade would hate everyone for not liking Beck, as if that would personally offend her.  
Tori doesn’t say any more about it in any case. Her father has stopped the car in front of the school now, so they just bid each other adieu before Tori leaves the car.


	8. Pillow fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to the last chapter!  
> You might find the ending a little corny but I personally liked it. :) What I'm not sure about (concerning how much I like it) is a scene within this chapter that's the only one in this fic out of someone else's pov than Tori. I put a "+" in to show where that scene starts and ends, so you can skip it if you find the change in pov weird. But I kinda wanted to show that scene and didn't know how else to show it.  
> Now thank you so very very much everyone for reading this story, for the kudos and especially for the comments! You're awesome!  
> Have fun with this chapter!

After school, Beck invites Tori to drive home with him and Jade, which Jade doesn’t even protest.  
Tori and Trina have often hung out with their friends after school, so neither had to go home right away every day. Instead, afterwards, each their friends brought them home or their father came to pick them up when they finally wanted to get home as he was already done with work then. The few times where they wanted to head home right away and none of their friends headed into the direction of their house anyway for one reason or another, they took the bus which was fine as well.  
Beck and Jade go up Jade’s room while Tori goes into her own to do her homework. She doesn’t get far. The other two have turned on music in Jade’s room – quite loud.  
Tori gets unnerved by it and can’t concentrate on her homework at all. All her teachers started tough right away and she even got assigned a project she hoped to already get done today, just to stay ahead.  
She has to tell them to turn the music down. This doesn’t work at all.  
She gets up and to her old room. The door isn’t even closed now though neither of their parents are home and they have to know Tori wouldn’t rat them out. But Jade does keep her word. (She probably promised she would leave the door open, every time she was inside her bedroom with Beck – she won’t have promised to also leave the bathroom door open or alike, as also nobody will have thought about something alike happening.)  
“Can you turn the volume down?” she asks, walking inside to find both of them sitting on Jade’s bed, in the corner of it, Jade leaning against the headboard, Back against the other wall, the bed is standing at. Their legs lie over each other, both have laptops in their laps (Beck brought his and kept it in the car during school). They sit close enough that with every slight movement their laptops might touch too.  
“No,” Jade says without even looking up.  
“I’m trying to do homework,” Tori says. Jade has to see sense over this, right?  
Now, Jade looks up darkly. “And we’re succeeding like this. Go do them somewhere else.”  
For a second, Tori wants to say that this is her home and she has every right to do her homework here. But she can bite it back and is glad that she does. After all this is Jade’s home now too and Tori saying it like that makes it sound as if it isn’t. As if Tori would always have more rights in this house than Jade because she lived here first. That would be unfair.  
Beck’s the one to speak next. He has followed the conversation silently before, now he puts his hand on Jade’s leg, leaning towards her. “We can also drive back to the RV.”  
They share a look and Jade puts her hand on top of Beck’s hand on her leg as she answers, in an unsatisfied tone herself: “You know my mom wants me to be here as much as possible to start ‘feeling home here’. Ugh.”  
Beck leans even closer, kisses her jawline, before he says: “But we wouldn’t get interrupted or watched as much there.”  
Okay, this isn’t just about homework, right? Tori promptly remembers what she heard in the bathroom the day before. Gosh. And she honestly thought she already forgot all about it.  
She closes her eyes for a moment, before she thinks that... well, no, maybe this is just about homework after all. Maybe, Beck would prefer to listen to music this loud, doing homework while being close to Jade, without anyone, even Tori, walking inside, seeing them like this. Though this isn’t anything too private. Still.  
“I know,” Jade says, moves her hand to his cheek, kissing him, rubbing her thumb over his cheekbone. And looking at him after the kiss, she decides: “I’ll tell her I’ll spend the next weekend.”  
That makes Beck smile. “Yes.”  
Jade kisses him again, before she turns back to Tori, looking annoyed once more: “We can turn the music down but don’t expect us to make it so quiet that you won’t hear it at all in your room, especially with that stupid door open.”  
Is Jade actually compromising now? Tori’ll take it.  
“Okay, thanks,” she says leaves the room while Jade turns the music down.

Tori’s mind gets back to what she almost said in that room. How she almost said that this is her home.  
Well, somewhere that is still how she feels. Just like Jade probably isn’t feeling home here yet. And why should she, despite being here around the clock, when Tori still doesn’t think of her at home here? And with Tori’s father being difficult about Beck. And... with this house being this house.  
Only now, Tori realizes that this is the house in which Beck and Jade had their big break-up.  
Jade must hate it here, right?  
Tori suddenly feels bad for her. She hasn’t often felt like that for Jade. She does now and even wants to talk to Jade about it, to tell her that she understands how she must feel. To let her know that Tori’s there for her if Jade needs her in any way. Not that she thinks Jade’ll ever really take her up on that, but Tori still hopes she’ll appreciate the sentiment.

+

Before Tori gets around to talk to Jade, unbeknownst to her, her father gets his turn.  
Beck’s gone today, before David gets home and the family eats dinner together. He’s alone in the living room with Caitlyn afterwards, his beautiful girlfriend.  
They talk about work and about what else happened during the day, before turning on the TV. That’s also the moment, Jade comes downstairs.  
She looks bored as she comes to a halt next to the couch, the couple is sitting on. “Hey. Just wanted to tell you that I’m gonna stay with Beck for the weekend.”  
It’s Monday, so still some time until the weekend, but they must’ve decided on that today and Jade directly informs them. Or rather her mother.  
Yes, it’s just an information. While David expects his daughters to ask him (no matter if he always allows it), Caitlyn always seems to be fine with Jade only informing. They parent their children so differently – well, their children and they are different. They have already talked about it some before moving in together, but their first two weeks of living together have still proven themselves tough every now and then, especially at little moments like this. But David slowly learns to keep his mouth shut about how Caitlyn raises Jade, as Caitlyn also barely says a thing about how David raises his daughters.  
Caitlyn now answers her daughter: “I thought we talked about this.”  
“We did,” Jade says, pointedly. “And I’ve been here almost around the clock for two weeks and also will be for the rest of this week when I’m not in school.”  
So, she deserves some time outside the house.  
David has learned from Caitlyn that Jade hasn’t been home often, when they still lived alone. It was fine for Caitlyn because she always knew where her daughter was and she came home regularly and always when her mother wanted her to. But Caitlyn told Jade to be home more now, so she’ll ever feel like home here. David can also imagine that Jade must feel home at Beck’s, if she’s spending so much time there. And it could easily happen that Jade only sees that as home anymore after the move. Caitlyn doesn’t want that. Even if Jade moves out for college, she wants her to come and visit and feel home with her mother.  
Now Caitlyn tilts her head, looking at Jade, and finally says: “Okay. But why don’t we all do something together on Friday then? The whole family?”  
David likes that idea. They should spend some time other than the meals. Caitlyn also checks with a look in his direction and he smiles at her.  
Jade watches them and then shrugs. “If we have to.”  
And with that, she pulls out her phone and seems in the process of turning and leaving them again. David’s sure she’ll text Beck to let him know that she’ll be with him for the weekend.  
And well, with Trina and Tori not around, maybe this is the moment to talk to her. David isn’t sure if Beck shouldn’t also hear this but... he has the feeling that Jade hates his behaviour much more than Beck himself does and gets offended by it more. Also, she will let Beck know what it’s about.  
So, he raises his voice: “Jade. I also wanted to talk to you.”  
She stops again, looking up from her phone.  
“About Beck,” he makes clear.  
Her face hardens but she doesn’t say anything, just raises her eyebrows at him, almost couldly, and he notices how Caitlyn also turns to look at him in surprise. He knows she’ll intervene if he would say anything negative at all.  
Quickly, he gets to the point: “I talked to Tori this morning and realized that I give off the impression that I don’t like him. I want you to know that that’s not true. I’m genuinely happy to see you in such a good relationship. It’s just hard for me to see someone in Trina’s and Tori’s age with a boyfriend in that way. They’re my little girls and your relationship shows me how grown up they are.”  
Jade’s face has softened a little again. Her look is neutral, as she questions, still with that rough sort of voices she always uses: “What’s wrong with them growing up?”  
“I don’t want to loose them,” he honestly responds.  
“Why would you?” she asks. “They’ll always be your daughters.”  
She glances to her own mother and David can’t help but smile. That’s the moment. When she glances to her mother, he realizes that Jade’s still so close to her mother, in their own way, despite Jade being in that serious relationship with Beck. Despite Jade being as independent as she is. They’re close enough that despite the person Jade is, she still listens to her mother about when to be home. She wants her mother to be happy – and her mother wants her to be happy.  
David wants that with his daughters. He has it with his daughters. And Jade lets him know that’s all he needs.  
“Thank you,” he earnestly says which makes Jade pull her eyebrows together. As if she doesn’t understand the thanks, as if she’s weirded out by him thanking her.  
She does understand that he ends their talk with that, takes up her phone again, to finally text Beck, while she turns around and leaves without another word.  
Her mother looks after her for a moment before she turns to David with a smile. He sees how happy she is that David talked to Jade about this, that he told her about his feelings. She leans forward and pulls him into a passionate kiss.

+

Tori and Trina have talked in their room, until Tori needed to go to the bathroom. She’s on her way back to her room, when she hears someone coming up the stairs. She stops and sees it’s Jade, her phone in her hand.  
Beck has left before dinner already. Tori wonders if Jade has actually sat with their parents just now. It’s not like she has gotten herself a drink or anything.  
Anyway... Tori and she shortly nod at each other in greeting and Jade’s close to the door of her room, when Tori remembers: “Oh, can we talk?”  
Jade doesn’t say a word. She glances at Tori, then walks into her room. But she leaves her door open, which Tori understands as a yes to her question. After all, Jade’s very much allowed to close her door when Beck isn’t over and she always does.  
That’s why Tori walks inside after Jade and closes the door behind them. Okay, but she doesn’t know how to start this conversation.  
Jade calls her out on it. “What?” she asks aggressively when Tori doesn’t say anything.  
She lets herself fall down on her bed, narrowing her eyes at Tori.  
Tori slowly starts to speak: “I realized it’s kinda unfair that you had to move while we didn’t.” Her, Trina and their father. They don’t have to get used to another home. They only have to get used to two people living here.  
Jade raises one eyebrows and shrugs: “Well, life isn’t fair.”  
So, she has of course noticed herself that this is kind of unfair and that she drew the shortest straw in this deal.  
“I’m sorry,” Tori honestly says because she is. “I didn’t think about it before, but you must have bad memories connected to this house.” On top of everything else.  
Jade looks at her for a moment, as if she needs that to get what Tori’s talking about it. She doesn’t need another hint by Tori though. Instead, she suddenly asks amused: “Because Beck and I broke up here?”  
Tori nods gently and Jade easily says: “We had a lot of break-ups. Granted: Not one was for that many weeks before, but anyway... We also fight a lot. I don’t connect that to places. Otherwise, we could never go anywhere twice. Also, he made sure when we moved my stuff in that I also have good memories in this house.”  
Tori opens the mouth though she has nothing to say to that. Did Jade really say that? Did she mean what Tori thinks she meant? As if what Tori overheard in the bathroom wasn’t enough... That was two weeks after Jade moving in... If he made sure she has good memories in this house when they moved her stuff in...  
The way Jade smirks at Tori’s dumbfounded face, she did mean it the way Tori takes it.  
Tori quickly regains her composure and says, as if Jade didn’t add that last part: “I’m glad to hear that. Do you think you’ll ever feel home here?”  
“What do you care?” Jade harshly asks.  
Well... Obviously, Tori cares. She doesn’t want Jade to be miserable. They’re friends. And might be family some day.  
But before she can put that into words, Jade already rolls her eyes. She knows that Tori cares. And maybe it soothes her that Tori truly does, at least she finally says: “It’s only been two weeks, you know. But my mom lives here. And Beck’s here all the time. I’ll feel home soon enough.”  
She means it. Tori can’t help herself, with a big smile: “And we’ll be sisters soon enough.”  
“You suck, Vega,” Jade says, but definitely amused, and suddenly she takes one of her pillows and throws it in Tori’s direction.  
Tori can just keep it from hitting her chest and it falls to the floor. Tori’s picking it up, thinking about throwing it back at Jade, when Jade has already stood up, another one of her pillows in her hands, having left her phone on the bed, and she’s hitting Tori with that pillow.  
They start a major pillow fight that actually reminds Tori very much of a sisterly fight. Trina even comes into the room because of all the commotion and promptly gets involved as well as Jade throws the pillow against her head, not angry that Trina came into her room, but playful.  
They have a big fight and only stop when one of them accidently hits one of Jade’s butterfly collections that somehow stays whole but falls to the ground, which makes all of them quickly check if it’s not destroyed.  
“We’ll never do that in my room again,” Jade says after that and Tori promptly suggests: “Let’s do it in ours the next time.”  
She checks with a look to Trina and Trina nods. She’s also always up for some good fighting. Even with Jade, though those two never got along too great.  
Jade smirks again. “I’ll bring the pillows.”  
Tori smiles. Yeah, Jade’ll feel home here quick enough. And they’ll feel like family of sorts. Her mother makes sure of that by having her spend so much time at the house. And Beck makes sure of that by being here with her.  
Tori only now realizes that Beck’s able to do that. That him being around made Jade get used to the house quicker, that she got comfortable so easily here because of him.  
Tori hasn’t known before it would be like this. With Jade herself but also with Beck around so much. But she has to say... She rather likes it.


End file.
